On behalf of the unions and associations of BSNL, we are writing this letter, to urgently draw your kind attention to the wage revision issue of the BSNL employees.

The affordability clause, contained in the recommendations of the 3rd PRC, has made it difficult for the BSNL employees to get wage revision. However, we were happy to hear earlier that, considering the combined efforts being put in by the BSNL Management and the employees for the financial revival of BSNL, and also considering the remarkable improvements made by the orgnisation during the past 2/3 years, the DoT was also adopting a positive attitude towards the wage revision of the BSNL employees.

However, we are greatly saddened to learn now that, there is a shift in the stand of the DoT on this issue. Hence, we implore you to urgently intervene on this matter and to do the needful, so that justice is not denied to the BSNL employees.

In this regard we wish to once again bring to your kind notice that, BSNL became loss making only because the Company was not allowed to procure equipments from 2007 to 2012, for the expansion of it’s mobile networks. One after another, the tenders floated by BSNL, for procuring equipments, were cancelled under one pretext or the other. BSNL was not able to expand it’s mobile networks during the above mentioned period, when the mobile segment was growing exponentially, as a result of which the Company could not benefit from the rapid growth witnessed in the mobile segment.

In this regard, we wish to quote the statement made by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad ji, former Minister of Communications, in his interview given to the CNBC-TV18 on 28.02.2015, wherein he has stated on record as follows:-

“Both BSNL and MTNL were in profit by the year 2005-2006, thousands and thousands of crore. What happened in the subsequent years that they have come under such a critical state? Something which I can openly tell you today that every attempt was made that they are not allowed to expand.”

However, the situation has totally changed now. From the year 2013 onwards, BSNL has made considerable expansion of it’s mobile networks. Together with this, the Non-Executives and Executives are also putting in extraordinary efforts, to increase the revenue of the Company. They have conducted very successful movements like “Customer Delight Year”, “Service With A Smile”, etc., to improve the quality of the services, as well as to increase the revenue of the Company. It is also significant to mention that the unions and associations of BSNL called on the employees to work one hour extra, from 10.02.2017 to 31.03.2017, to improve the financial results of the Company, during the financial year. The employees also tremendously responded to this call. As a result of the combined efforts put in by the Management and the employees, BSNL’s revenue, as well as customer base, have increased considerably.

For example, BSNL’s loss stood at Rs.8,234 crore in 2014 – 15, whereas, it has come down to Rs.3,880 crore in 2015 – 16. BSNL has made operational profits of Rs 672 Cr and Rs 3854 Cr during the last two years. However, the balance sheet is still negative due to the huge amount of Rs 8,817 Cr to Rs 7,135 Cr accounted as depreciation. Year by year, revenue also increases. BSNL has also advanced from 6th position to the 4th position, in terms of market share.

Everyone agrees that BSNL is steadily moving in the revival path. Under circumstances, nonimplementation of wage revision will demoralise the employees, and will seriously hamper the revival of BSNL. Hence, we earnestly request you to kindly intervene on this issue, so that the BSNL employees are not denied wage revision.